by Fred Jackson
(AgapePress) – The latest survey from Christian researcher George Barna shows that traditional moral values are continuing to lose ground even among those who call themselves Christians. However, there is an exception: the Bible readers.
According to Barna, most churchgoing people today exhibit a diversity of opinion on doctrinal and moral matters that would shock the average pastor. He says increasingly, his team of researchers is finding that the positions on moral issues that are taught from the pulpit are not necessarily shared by those sitting in the pews.
For example, Barna says a significant number of people now attending Christian churches believe both abortion and homosexuality should be legal activities. But he says people who read and study the Bible for themselves continue to be the exception, with the majority of them taking much more conservative positions on these key social issues.
Based on this, Barna concludes that if committed Christians have any chance of restoring a more traditional moral perspective in America, it will come by encouraging people to make their choices on the basis of God’s Word rather than cultural leanings or political arguments.
(This update courtesy of Agape Press.)
CNN Soliciting Input from Conservatives
by Fred Jackson
(AgapePress) – A visit by the new head of CNN with Republicans on Capitol Hill is causing a bit of a stir in Washington.
For a number of years now, conservatives have joked that what the letters “CNN” really stand for is the “Clinton News Network” or the “Communist News Network.” That sentiment stems from their belief that CNN is dominated by liberal journalists who show a left-wing bias in coverage of the major issues of the day, be it national politics or key social issues such as abortion. That frustration has led many traditionalists to the Fox News network where, they say, their point of view is shown some respect. As a result, CNN's ratings have plummeted.
Now comes word that the new boss at CNN, Walter Issacson, paid a visit last week to Capitol Hill and met with a number of leading Republicans, including Trent Lott, Dennis Hastert, and J.C. Watts. The news magazine, Roll Call, says he was there to seek advice on how to attract more right-leaning viewers.
Issacson's counterpart at Fox, Roger Ailes, has responded by saying that he though it was a real sign of progress that after 21 years, CNN has found out there is “more than one point of view.”
